Cop Accused of Raping Women on Patrol

An Oklahoma City police officer arrested on charges of serial sexual assault preyed on women in the rundown neighborhoods he was assigned to patrol—picking some up off the street, pulling others over at traffic stops, and in one case taking a woman to a nearby school, according to an affidavit released today. Former star football player Daniel Holtzclaw, 27, raped one woman and either fondled others or forced them to expose themselves, investigators said. He made others perform sex acts on him. And police said there could be more victims than the seven already identified. "They're retracing all of his contacts, as many as they can, especially traffic stops," said a police spokesman.

The investigation began when police said a woman complained in June that Holtzclaw had sexually assaulted her during a traffic stop on a boulevard about two miles north of the state Capitol. The alleged incident prompted police to check other contacts Holtzclaw had with the public since beginning street patrols about 18 months ago. Officers identified seven victims and eight incidents before accusing Holtzclaw of crimes including rape, sexual battery, and indecent exposure. Police reports said the victims were all black women between the ages of 34 and 58. Holtzclaw, who was immediately placed on leave, had not previously been disciplined in his three-year tenure with the department; formal charges are pending. (More Oklahoma City stories.)